Timer



R. J. TRAUPMANN.

TIMER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1919.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

n ven or UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND J. TRAUPMANN, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNGR T0 MILWAUKEE AUTO ENGINE & SUPPLY COMPANY, OF MILW'AUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

To all 20 ham, it may concern:

MANN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of M11 waukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Timers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The invention relates to timers and more particularly to those for use on Ford automobiles. 7

With the usual construction of timer in which a roller successively passes over radially disposed contacts in the block of insulating material within the casing; the wearing down of the roller and the wearing off of the insulation adjacent the contacts causes uneven action of the roller and consequent uncertain action of the timer. The cam shaft driving the timer having to lift the valves of the engine at periods of its rotation and being gear driven, its rotation is not perfectly smooth and regular but is apt to become somewhat jerky particularly in an engine that has seen considerable service and in which the parts have become somewhat worn. This uneven running of the cam shaft produces jumping of the contact roller over the radially disposed contacts with consequent uncertain timing action. Furthermore the necessary oil used to lubricate the roller prevents proper operation of the timer and slight irregularities in the contact surfaces will become increased to a degree to interfere with the proper o eration of the roller. To remedy these di culties I have devised a timer in which the movable contact is directly connected to the cam shaft and bears against terminals with contact faces at right angles to the axis of rotation of said shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple form of movable contact which is self-adjusting for wear and which mzly be readily replaced.

further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive fixed contact construction preferably used in combination with a yieldingly supported button form of movable contact in lieu of the usual roller.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented xp 2'7 192() Application filed February 19, 1919. Serial No. 277,925.

particularly defined by claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a timer embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, parts being shown in section and parts broken away;

Fig. i is a vertical sectional view through the cover;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the cover;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the contact arm; and,

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the movable contact. I

The timer is designed to be mounted on the engine in the usual place at the end of the cam shaft 8 and is provided with a casing 9 and a removable cover 10, the casing having arms 11 to permit its being shifted to advance or retard the spark.

The casing 9 has a fiat portion 12 and a conical portion 13 having a recess 14 therein. A ring 15 of fiber or other suitable insulating material is disposed adjacent the fiat headed button contacts 16 which are inset in the ring and spaced from the casing by insulting washers 17 and 18 and carry nuts 19 for clamping the respective conductors to them. v

The cover 10 has a depending flange portion 20 which fits over the casing 9 and cooperates therewith to form a housing for the terminal wires which are led through a neck or duct 22 in the cover. The conical top 23 of the cover is disposed adjacent the portion 13 of the casing and has a recess 24 therein registering with the recess 14 and adapted to receive the usual spring retaining finger (not shown). The cover 10 protects the parts from oil and dirt and from contact with the fan belt and furthermore holds the wires from swaying and so prevents their becoming broken or loosened in this manner.

Mounted on the end of the camshaft and clamped thereto between the shouldered portion 25 and a nut 26 bearing against a collar 27 is a metal contact carrying arm 28 having a tubular bore 29 fitting the shaft and a cylindrical socket 30 receiving a movable contact button 31 having a bore 32 therein, a spring 33 being disposed in said socket and with one end projecting into the bore 32.

The clamping of the arm 28 to the shaft in the manner above described is sufiicient to hold it but in addition and also for the purpose of lining up, a pin 3d fits into the usual hole in the cam shaft and in a slot in the arm and is limited in its outward move ment by the collar 27.

The button 31 preferably has a fiat face 36 which is yieldingly held against the fiber ring 15 and the fixed contacts 16 by the spring 33 and as the cam shaft revolves this movable button successively engages the fixed contacts to close the circuits for the sparkplugs in the usual manner.

Owing to the direct connection between the contact arm and the cam shaft and the disposition of the fixed contacts with their faces at right angles to the cam shaft the parts are not subjected to heavy strains or much wear and they may be quickly replaced it necessary.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a timer, the combination, with the cam shaft, of an arm secured near the end of said shaft, a contact yieldingly mounted on said arm and disposed parallel to said shaft, a metal casing having a portion forming a housing for the arm and a conical portion extending from the top oi'the housing to form a housing for-the end of the shaft, an annular ring of insulating material secured to the inside of the top of the housing adjacent said conical portion, fixed contacts inset in said ring and cooperating with the contact on said arm, a cover having a depending flange and a. top provided with a conical projection engaging the conical portion of the top of the casing and forming with the top of said casing an annular chamber, said cover having an outwardly directed neck portion, terminals carried by said fixed contacts within the annular chamber and receiving the ends of the wires passing through said neck portion and into said chamber.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAYMOND J. TRAUPMANN. Witnesses W. G. Gasman, D. Emma. 

